


Don't Move, Don't Speak

by thatfantasyworldofmine



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, Marvel Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-10 09:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6951604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatfantasyworldofmine/pseuds/thatfantasyworldofmine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prison was hard on Team Cap. But it was hell for Wanda Maximoff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Move, Don't Speak

They were processed under the watchful eyes of Vision and the Black Panther. Vision in particular eyed the guards warily, as if he did not fully trust the men or the orders they had. It didn’t matter, anyway. One by one they were escorted into the helicopter: Sam first, followed by Scott. Clint’s two guards handled him roughly, shoving him up into the craft with force.

“ _Hey!_ ” Wanda yelled angrily, loud enough to be heard over the noise of the rotors. Her guards shoved her up just as roughly and she was immediately received by two more guards and a subtly produced syringe. The doors slammed shut at the same time as the other members of her team reacted, but it was already done. The helicopter took off and the four members of Cap’s team were restrained appropriately. The Black Panther and Vision gave each other a solemn nod and departed their separate ways.

In the air, Wanda’s head lolled on Clint’s shoulder. His teeth clenched in outrage; she was a _kid_ and they had drugged her rather than trust her. He looked up and caught Sam with the same fury burning in his eyes and Scott staring firmly out the window with a tight jaw. They all wore handcuffs. Three out of four pairs of restrained hands were balled into fists.

They flew for nearly two hours by Clint’s estimate, about half of that over water.

“ _Raft to Heli Five, you are cleared for landing._ ” The radioed voice reached the cabin and Clint’s stomach lurched. Raft? The helicopter began to descend and the captured men all found themselves leaning towards the windows. Coming up from the rough seas was a giant platform that soon opened up and swallowed the helicopter. The three guards with them in the cabin began undoing their seat belts. One reached over and undid Wanda’s seat belt, jostling her in the process. Anger sparked in Clint and he spoke his first words of the flight: “ _Hey man, you hurt her and it’ll be your last mistake. Got it?_ ” The guard ignored him. The helicopter touched down, and Clint, Sam and Scott were pushed out. Wringing his neck, Clint saw Wanda’s form slung over the shoulder of a guard heading in the opposite direction.

“ _Where’re you taking her?_ ” he demanded of the closest guard; the reply was a swift punch to the stomach and a shove in the back.

“ _Get walking,_ ” the guard growled. Scowling, Clint complied.

When she came to, Wanda felt heavy; foggy. Her whole body hurt – no doubt from the abuse during the fight and overuse of her powers. She opened her eyes and was assaulted with harsh light. Immediately she flinched; instinct made her try to cover her face, but her arms were restricted. Why couldn’t she move her arms? Confusion and an inkling of fear flooded through her. Wanda’s heart rate escalated as she struggled into a sitting position and looked down: a straitjacket encompassed the top half of her body. Wanda writhed as panic gripped her; she needed her arms, she needed to move! The familiar surge of energy welled up inside her, moved through her body down her arms and then… nothing. Gone. Her chest heaved and fear truly seized her: what had they done to her powers? Neutralised them somehow? Had they _gone_? She tried again, this time filled with so much power that her vision glazed over red. Again, it was sucked from her.

“ _Wanda!_ ” Her head shot up. Clint’s voice! She turned around and saw him standing against the bars of his cell opposite hers. “ _Wanda, are you alright?_ ”

“ _Clint –_ ” she managed and then pain in its rawest form shot through Wanda. Her body seized, an invisible force throwing her to the floor so hard it made her head spin.

“ _Wanda!_ ” Clint shouted, banging the bars with his hand. He watched agonizingly, white knuckled hands gripping the bars as her body slowly stopped shaking, and then a snippet of her voice made its way to him. Wanda’s body thrashed as an excruciating scream reverberated through the prison. Again and again, her screams triggered another shock; they were torturing her. After several minutes, when Wanda was finally still, Clint could see her closed eyes. She was unconscious.

“ _You goddamn bastards,_ ” he yelled into the camera. There was no telling how much damage they had done to Wanda, but the fact they had tried was enough for Clint. “ _Bastards,_ ” he snarled again with disgust.

“ _Clint._ ” He looked over; Sam was staring at him expectantly. His cell was placed so he could see Clint but not Wanda. “ _What’s going on, man? What happened to Wanda?_ ”

“ _They fitted her with a straitjacket and a fucking shock collar,_ ” Clint spat, pacing angrily. “ _She’s not an animal, she’s a human being!_ ” he yelled into the camera.

Sam’s face hardened. “ _Bastards,_ ” he agreed, crossing his arms.

Her neck hurt more the next time Wanda woke up. It throbbed, and tears burned as they escaped painfully with no sound. She didn’t move a muscle, just lay where she fell and let the tears flow. Her heart ached as she remembered the last time she had been imprisoned; sure it had been with Hydra, but at least she could talk and move, even use her powers. And Pietro… she’d had Pietro. _Pietro_.

She lay until her tears had gone and dried. Many emotions warred within her: frustration, anger, hurt. _Hate_. Wanda crawled to the wall and leaned against it. Everything hurt.

“ _Wanda._ ” Clint’s voice again. Wanda’s lip quivered as she looked at him. Frustration rose in her as she tried to flex her fingers; all she could do was look at him. They had stripped her of the ability to do anything else. Who was to say they wouldn’t shock her if she tried to communicate some other way? They were afraid of her, just like Vision said they would be. It was her fault. To be treated like a monster – did this mean she was a monster?

“ _Wanda, are you alright?_ ” Clint sounded concerned and desperate. She continued to look at him, gritting her teeth in some combination of anger and hesitation. She shook her head. Her mouth opened slightly; Wanda wasn’t sure why – maybe to mouth something, maybe some other reason, but it didn’t matter. Pain greeted her again and she drowned in it.

***

Lighter footsteps than the usual heavy clunks made by the guards made Wanda open her eyes. Tony Stark stood with his back to her, talking to Clint. Red flooded her vision for a moment, then her restraints (she had guessed it was something in the straitjacket) swallowed her power and all colours returned to normal. Wanda had experimented the first day they had been here – even stood up and approached the front of her cell. The result had been a particularly nasty shock and a headache from hitting her head on the way down as her legs crumpled. So now she sat in her spot: at the back of her cell, legs pulled up to her chest. Sat absolutely still so they would have no excuse to shock her again.

Tony Stark wandered around the semi-circle of cells and Wanda’s eyes followed him. Eventually he came to stand in front of her cell. Wanda could see the conflict in his face: there was regret, yes, but also the other part of him that could somehow justify their imprisonment here and how they treated them. How they treated _her_.

“ _I’m sorry you ended up here, Wanda. You don’t belong in this place, these guys are just being overcautious,_ ” Stark told her, hands clasped in front.

Wanda stared at him, and just for a moment the brown of her eyes were tinged in crimson. _They treat me like I belong here._

Stark recoiled slightly. Then he moved forward again.

“ _I tried to protect you,_ ” he said, and left.

Wanda didn’t move. Her eyes lowered to the floor.

_I’m the monster. I belong here._

“ _Wanda, are you alright?_ ” Clint, again. Wanda kept her eyes low; she didn’t dare respond. Nothing was worth going through that pain another time.

***

Exhaustion had taken over Wanda two or three hours previously when Steve Rogers strode purposefully into the room. Clint let out a short breath of relief. They had all heard the noises of many guards getting beaten to pulps, and Clint had been entertaining one of three possible parties it could have been. Steve was the best outcome.

“ _Clint, you alright?_ ” Steve acknowledged as he unlocked the cage.

“ _Been better,_ ” Clint retorted, nodding towards Wanda’s cell. Steve followed his look and sighed. Clint thought he heard Steve mutter “ _Goddamn it, Tony,_ ” under his breath, but couldn’t be certain. Once the cell was unlocked, Clint cautiously approached Wanda, who was still unconscious. Her position hadn’t changed in a good 18 hours.

Clint knelt down and gently touched Wanda’s arm; the reaction was instantaneous. Her eyes flew open and her whole body jerked away from his touch. Wanda made no sound as she scrambled away from him.

“ _Wanda, it’s alright, no-one can hurt you anymore, Steve’s here,_ ” Clint said, making his voice as soothing as possible. “ _He’s taken over the compound, I’m gonna get you out of that thing. Will you let me?_ ”

Wanda took him in with her eyes, watching him. Slowly she came to her full senses: the door to her cell was open, and in the semi-darkness beyond her cell she could see Steve, Sam and Scott all free, all waiting a respectful distance away for her and Clint to join them. Her eyes filled with tears, her heart pounding. What if the collar hurt Clint? What if it hurt them both? What if Steve missed a guard and it was all for nothing?

“ _Wanda,_ ” Clint said, crouched beside her. Her eyes flicked back to him, and he nodded. She pressed her lips together to stop them trembling, and nodded.

Clint moved slowly but efficiently at the same time, first taking off the collar and then unstrapping Wanda from the straitjacket. Her joints moved painfully as she unfolded her arms from the restraints, and she could feel herself getting overwhelmed with the simple idea that she was free. A few tears escaped and her breathing quickened as Clint kicked the collar away and pulled Wanda into a firm hug.

“ _You’re safe,_ ” he murmured. “ _You’re free now, they can’t hurt you._ ” Into his shoulder, Wanda nodded. Clint released her and helped her stand, slinging her arm around his neck as they limped towards the others. Clint nodded at Steve, who then raised his eyebrows at Wanda. She nodded. Steve led the way out.

“ _Follow me._ ”


End file.
